Tastes

First there was Storm. Now there is Dark Storm. It has taken me a long time to track down a dram of Dark Storm. Originally released as a TRE I understand this is a very sought after bottling. What I am very unclear on is how it is different to Storm. All I can find is that the Dark Storm uses heavily charred barrels, but that supposed to be what the Storm is; a blend of old and young finished in re-charred barrels. Hmm, perhaps then the Dark Storm is the reference to “the peatiest whisky Talker produces”. N: Straight in with the good stuff… rich, deep, and evocative. Earthy and slightly mineral undertones deliver a unfolding smoke with a hint of oiliness and a tiny touch of floral intrigue. A peppery and slightly tannic prickle is interesting and mingles with slightly sweet pear and an emergent charred BBQ ends. A storm is indeed brewing… P: Mouth coating and full with a slight oiliness that holds the palate firmly in place. Smoke is wonderfully enveloping, warm and powerful with red chilli, briny oysters, a hint of iodine or band-aids. This big entry is backed by a fruity berry sweetness, honeyed-malt, preserved lemon peel(?), and gentle tannic spice. F: Long and changing. The bonfire stays present against a briny sea spray and hits with cracked pepper to chilli heat, some toasty malt, a somewhat astringent tannic-toffee and bright fruity notes. This finish keeps on giving. It has been suggested to me that Dark Storm is a good equivalent to the 2021 8 y/o sea fury special edition. So, I opted to pull up my notes and pour a measure of the Sea Fury alongside the Dark Storm. I can agree that there is cross-over, particularly on the nose but this Dark Storm is quite different. Here the combination of heavy char imparts a toasty depth that comes across as honeyed malt and a thicker smokiness but it doesn’t broil with the same depths and power of the Sea Fury and lacks the more obvious vanillin. the Sea Fury sports a hefty almost 60% ABV, the Dark Storm comes in at the Talisker standard of 45.8% so the comparison isn’t fair from the get go. But, this Dark Storm delivers well. The lift of the sweet fruity notes, and the delicacy of the smoke in spite of its big presence is very well done. The Storm was unnecessary, it was the calm before the true (Dark) Storm. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Sea Fury to attend to under the Dark Storms waves… Price is for 1000 ml bottle. Distiller whisky taste #258 [Pictured here with a clutch of sapphirine schists from southern Madagascar. Thats sapphirine, not sapphire. Sapphirine is much better. 560-530 million years ago Madagascar for caught up in the assembly of the Gondwanan supercontinent and the closure of the Mozambique ocean. Essentially Madagascar got smashed between India to the east and East Africa to the west. During this time some 720 million year old oceanic sediments were metamorphosed at ultra high temperatures of 800-1000 degrees C at depths of 25-35 km; the result these spectacular rocks.] Talisker running scores: T10: 4/5 T18: 4.75/5 T8 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5 Skye: 3.25/5 Port Ruighe: 2.75/3 Storm: 3.5/5 Dark Storm: 4.25/5 57 North: 4.25/5 X Parley Wilder Seas: 4.25/5

Talisker Storm is a NAS released in 2013 offered more or less alongside T10. The difference to the T10 is mainly in the use of shaved and (deeply) re-charred ex-bourbon casks. The liquid poured into the casks though is a blend of three year old and 25 year old Talisker. N: Dry cool smoke with crisp ocean spray. A prickle of cracked pepper. Slight malty honey sweetness comes forward and is reminiscent of the T10s honey sweetness, but this pushes sweeter into a banana territory and maybe some pear. Is there a floral note, I’m not sure? P: Thick and heavy on arrival with a smack of pepper. Smoke is warm and slightly tannic. Earthy, mineral brine turns to the Talisker red chilli. There is a creaminess in here too, I think its coming from the wood and lands somewhere between toffee and oaked-chardonnay. F: Medium. The smoke fades to red chilli quite quickly, whilst it does though there is a cooling and refreshing lift from a semi-sweet floral note. I think that could just be young new make pushing through? Whatever it is, I’m here for it. As the sip fades completely there is a feeling of embers and beach pebbles. Nose lacks the impetus of the T10 but drifts towards memories of the T18; perhaps this is the combination of old (rumoured 25YO) and young stock. Palate is a bit flat, the youthful elements are fighting with the touches of older stock. The finish is where this gets good in my opinion the fade from smoke to lifting bright sweetness is wonderful. I have a problem with this whisky though. It feels like an unnecessary NAS cash grab; the same as Skye (only this is a bit better). Written on the box is “Clouds begin to gather over the black Cuilin mountains, you can see the mood darken. You can taste it too. Deep smoke swirls with spice. Feel the intensity rise as the storm sets in”. I have never struggled with picturing a rugged coast or a lonely lighthouse keeper facing the storm when drinking Talisker. So, with Storm I was expecting something akin to the 8YO Special Release ‘Sea Fury’. Instead, I found fading intensity and a lack of depth in the palate. The nose held promise, the finish went a calm, but enjoyable, direction. This just isn’t a storm. Ultimately drink this if its available. But, preference T10 if you want an accessible brooding sea. Drink T18 if you want the calmer, softer side of Talisker. Distiller whisky taste #257 [Pictured here with a ruby-garnet schist from the tiny island of Khit Ostrov in the far west of Russia. This rock took quite a journey. Originally laid down as a 2.8-2.5 billion year old muddy sediment it had its chemistry and mineralogy completely rearranged by hydrothermal fluids 2.3 billion years ago. Then, smashed up in a mountain building event 1.9-1.8 billion years ago produced the final form, complete with rubies.] Talisker running scores: T10: 4/5 T18: 4.75/5 T8 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5 Skye: 3.25/5 Port Ruighe: 2.75/3 Storm: 3.5/5 57 North: 4.25/5 X Parley Wilder Seas: 4.25/5

Island or Islay? That’s my current conflict. Where are my personal whisky favourites concentrated? I’m pretty sure that between Arran, Highland Park, and Talisker the podium is fully stacked. I think by the end of a reasonable run on Talisker I have lined up I’ll have my answer. For now. I have six Taliskers under my belt, and eight in this series to savour. Opening tonight with Port Ruighe. Named after the old Isle of Skye trading port, which was coincidently used to trade… port. this liquid was Talisker's second no age statement release for 2013, and it has stuck around. A positive sign perhaps. Port Ruighe combines whisky matured in European and American oak refill casks and heavily charred oak casks; blended, and finally transferred into ex-port casks for finishing. N: Quite aggressive. A powerful wave of woody smoke, a little iodine and band aids, waxiness and the important Talisker briny sea spray. The port cask is weak to me, there is a very gentle chocolate note, a vague suggestion of citrus peel and an over ripe plum. Peppery wood spice picks up eventually. This nose is big, loud and perhaps a little jumbled. Lots to work through in here. As this has opened up further, jammy figgy elements became apparent. P: Oily and warningly tannic mouthfeel. A beautiful smoke and black pepper entry gives way to a lovely salty mineralogy. This is Talisker, no questions. The left turn comes through too. Not the gentle sweetness of T10 but rather a more viscous dark sticky red fruit sweetness, some bright orange oil spritzes and a creamy milk chocolate. F: Medium-long. Fresh red chilli spice, a little coffee bitterness, a faint red fruit syrupy sweetness and a long goodbye from a beach bonfire. I am conflicted. I actually tried this a few years ago in a liquor store, but took no notes. My impression then is little changed now. Whilst the nose promises a smorgasbord, it doesn’t fully deliver. What is there, as individual elements are lovely. But, there is something that doesn’t quite mesh between the core Talisker elements that are just so good… and the juxtaposed sticky-sweetness of the Port Cask influence. There is also something detractive about the wood here, it adds a muting astringency, not a delicate spice lift. Then, there is the price. The price doesn’t affect the merits of the whisky, but the price point for me is AUD$158.99 or $115 online when on sale. T10 is around AUD$98. Thats an easy call to make. Normally I am a sucker for a Port cask, but this feels rushed, incautious and unbalanced. My lowest Talisker rating yet. I am not wavering from my opening paragraph though! Distiller whisky taste #256 [Pictured here with a sapphire-garnet-biotite gneiss from Zazafosty Quarry, Madagascar. A high temperature metamorphic rock formed from originally muddy sediments at the high temperature extremes of metamorphism around 494 million years ago] Talisker running scores: T10: 4/5 T18: 4.75/5 T8 2021 Special Release: 4.5/5 Skye: 3.25/5 Port Ruighe: 2.75/5 57 North: 4.25/5 X Parley Wilder Seas: 4.25/5

Island whiskies (Orkney, Arran, Skye, Mull) are the best. At their worst they are still good. This is a hill I will die on whilst drinking the last of my @cascode box of goodies. Thank you once again Sir. N: Strangely light and bright for a nose heavy in slightly sweet smoke. The smoke is a a tarry-oak with just the lightest mulch-earthy lift. The sweetness is red berries, raisins, and just a hint preserved lemon, maybe? I’ve sat with this for going on twenty minutes and I think there is a salty-minerality and creaminess like churned honey too this nose too. It’s wonderful. P: A powerful wave of warm smoke opens things up. The smoke is slightly meaty, slightly peppery, and with an undertone of stoney-minerality. Creosote-iodine is lovely. Oak adds a tannic astringency and is followed by brine and sweet lemon. The fruits are a little understated but a raspberry juiciness and apple crunch is just about there. F: Medium-long. Smoke hangs on and peppery-oaky warmth hangs on longer. The sweetness of the berries is present without the fruit flavours. Fairly lack lustre, but perfectly pleasant. The great @cascode has a great run down of what is in this liquid and how it was made. It seems to me like an unnecessary experiment. I don’t find too much added save for some sweetness from the wine barrels, but some of the malt that I remember from the L10 is lost. To be honest there seems to be little difference from the L10 and my same criticism applies: this is just a little to simple for a whisky that is expertly made, but seems like it should deliver just a touch more. Something, somewhere, is just missing. Still, lovely, enjoyable, and appreciated; but not worth the exorbitant price. Stick with the L10, or for a fraction more; get the L18. Distiller whisky taste #255 [Pictured here with some ‘Sputnik’ aragonite from Tazouta in Morocco. At Tazouta, aragonite occurs as floaters in a layer of red clay of Permian to Triassic age. Typically dozens of pseudohexagons radiate from a common centre, forming round to oblong clusters with the reddish-brown colour from inclusions of iron oxides.] Tobermory running scores: Tobermory 12: 4/5 Ledaig 10: 3.75/5 Ledaig 18: 4.5/5 Ledaig 2008 12 G&M Hermitage Cask: 3.75/5

I am a sucker for a Tawny/Port cask whisky. Invariably they speak to me, I. The same way that rum cask finishes don’t. Just as was the case for the bourbon cask, the tawny standard offering is the little brother to the cask strength version that I have had previously. N: Sweet depths of dark chocolate, toffee, and raisins. Tempered well by a hint of dark wood, furniture wax, and leather. Some of the notes I have for the cask strength of caramel, tobacco, and mustiness are absent here. P: Rich and sticky. Christmas cake in a glass: dried fruits, cinnamon, cloves. A little oak tannin, some caramel, and a leathery late texture. The textures are much less developed and depth of flavours from the wood are not nearly as apparent as they were in the cask strength. The buttery mouth feel, wood spices, and crunchy brown sugars are just not apparent. F: medium-long. Bitter sweet chocolate and a little Christmas spice. This has perhaps sounded negative, not at all. This is lovely juice, it’s just not what I want. I want the full experience of the cask strength single cask. Funnily enough, there is the fourth version of the “Angus Cask” available in the distillery now. Angus is the 16 year old Scotty dog that belongs to the owners. Four times now a special limited run has been made in honour of Angus. Currently, cask four is a 50l Tawny bottled at 50.4% and samples are only given to a rarified few. I was fortunate enough to try one. I’m not putting a review here for it, it didn’t seem right to me to do so. What I will say though, it’s great, really lovely; it’s this tawny turned up a notch. I would have bought one, but; it’s still not the cask strength… and another release (between you and I) is on the horizon… Cost is for 500 ml. Distiller whisky taste #254 [Pictured here, not with a rock, but just some of the distillery] Launceston running scores Bourbon cask: 3.5/5 Bourbon cask, cask strength single cask: 4/5 Apera cask: 3.75/5 Tawny cask: 3.75/5 Tawny cask, cask strength single cask: 4.25/5 Rum cask finish: 3.25/5 American & French oak reserve: 4.25/5

I am not typically a fan of rum casks, I find them a little jarring. My expectations then going into this special release of a bourbon cask matured and Caribbean rum finished offering were low at best. N: light, delicate, and with some tannic to ginger spice. Malibu rum or coconut suntan lotion were just apparent. P: The forward texture was voluptuous, full, soft, and pillowy. A remarkably enjoyable experience. The palate was a little lack lustre. Sticky rum flavours of coconut, banana, charred pineapple are there, but all understated and a little meh to me. F: Short, kind of. Initially a simple chewy to crunchy brown sugar presence that fades quickly. But, a late ghostly presence of coconuts and banana that creeps back in is summery and beckons you to sip again. I maintain my default position towards rum casks of “meh”, but this one has some novelty to the finish that held my interest. Far from my favourite, but this is clearly well made and will speak to people who prefer this kind of profile. Cost is for 500 ml bottle. Distiller whisky taste #253 [Pictured here, not with a rock, but just some of the distillery] Launceston running scores Bourbon cask: 3.5/5 Bourbon cask, cask strength single cask: 4/5 Apera cask: 3.75/5 Tawny cask, cask strength single cask: 4.25/5 Rum cask finish: 3.25/5 American & French oak reserve: 4.25/5

In Tassie and finally made it to a distillery. Beautiful Aircraft hangar (hangar 17) and the origin of Tasmanian Aviation. I have previously had a few Launceston juices finding them good to very good. But, I have never bought a bottle, put off by a high price tag. Having now seen their process, their wonderful people, and dedication to craft over quick releases (cough Starward cough) I am more inclined to buy a bottle down the track. Sadly, I wasn’t allowed to try the new make in the absence of the head distiller to sign off on it (Australian taxation rules can go straight to hell). Anyway, opening with their entry level malt, the Bourbon cask. Barrels are sourced from a range of US distilleries but the consistency of batches is good. The cask strength of this I tried on 16th Nov 2022 (distiller taste #108), rating it 4/5. Skipping to the end of this review, unsurprisingly this 46% standard bottling is the toned down little brother you’d expect. N: light and crisp, with a surprising foretelling of oaky astringency. Dominantly though, creamy lemon curd and vanilla custard. A little gristy malt. P: almost like for like with the nose. This is soft but with some oaky spice to keep you on your toes, tropical suggestions of coconut and some brown sugar and vanilla let you know you are definitely in bourbon cask territory. F: Surprisingly long with warm tannic spice and vanilla notes. There’s not to much to write home about here, this is a bourbon cask whisky as you’d expect but the addition of some extra slightly untamed oak adds a spicy complexity that stops it being boring. Lemony presence on the nose is quite distinctive and enjoyable. This is simple whisky, well made. Cost is for 500 ml bottle Distiller whisky taste #252 [Pictured here, not with a rock, but just some of the distillery] Launceston running scores Bourbon cask: 3.5/5 Bourbon cask, cask strength single cask: 4/5 Apera cask: 3.75/5 Tawny cask, cask strength single cask: 4.25/5 American & French oak reserve: 4.25/5

N: thick and syrupy the nose exudes richness. Heavy with figs, stewed plums and tannic toffee. Lightly herbal with an aniseed-peppermint presence. Toffee turns more vanilla with time. P: thinner than the nose would suggest but still good weight. Stewed fruit continues is presence adds an oily ness to the tannins and a little oak spice. Malt is present as an almost Irish whisky biscuitiness. The tannic astringency builds over time. F: medium. Tannic spice entering and plays out against a fig jam backdrop and just a slightly toasty malt. A perfectly adequate whisky, that has the slightly deeper port cask notes just about balanced against brighter sherry. But, there is little of the underlying spirit in my mind and an example of being over reliant on aggressive wood profiles. I’d actually suggest the Dark Lark is a better expression of heavy port casting and out performs this classic cask. Neither though, I feel are worth the price. Still, a Tasmanian whisky set against a backdrop of the Tasmanian wilds with platypus going about their evening, hard to complain to much. Distiller whisky taste #251

A good way to end the year, marking 116 Distiller entries for 2023. I am extremely grateful to the mighty @cascode who has sent me many of my tastings this year. With one more left from him after this one I felt I would make 2023 end on a high note with this 18 year old Ledaig and distiller whisky review #250. I loved Tobermory 12 and likely need a bottle back on my shelf. Ledaig 10 I described as: “Like a surgeons scalpel this is precise and delicate, but effective. The peat is beautifully restrained and just melts into the palate. Clean, crisp, and well made. well worth the buy.” I can’t imagine this pour from the Isle of Mull will be anything less than excellent… N: A richly earthy coolness envelopes everything. The earthiness is best described as a mildly mineral and oaky tar smoke. Blended seamlessly through the wafts of cool smoke are dark chocolate, cherry, leather, citrus zest, and a delicate honey sweetness. I am almost hesitant to drink this now, what if the follow through doesn’t live up to this exceptional nose? P: Oily and full bodied with a wonderful juiciness that has me salivating. The earthy nose translates directly to the palate but reveals a slightly brown sugar-malt crunch, perhaps like cookie dough? There is refreshing sweetness from something akin to melon juice, preserved lemon rinds. Roundness and fullness get delivered by nut butter. Interest and zing from spices of pepper, ginger and the slightest chilli. Tannins are restrained and pair well with the smoke which is almost like a smouldering hay-bale. F: Long. Part oily, part dry. Wonderfully crisp, firm but gentle oak spice, creosote and the suggestion of sea-spray (lick a beach pebble; thats the suggestion). This is not a whisky that will bowl you over with complexity and nuance, it wont take you to new flavours or sensations found no where else. But, I’ll be damned if it isn’t near perfect in spite of that. This is expertly made whisky. Every component part has clearly been understood and respected; good whisky well made as it should be. Simplicity and precision need to be bought back into the limelight (I’m looking at you new world whisky; Israel, Australia, Taiwan, England). Despite being relatively straightforward there is still depth and gravitas to the profile and it will still pull you into the glass to savour every drop. Taking a leaf out of @ContemplativeFox book I know i’m not giving this a five. The four drams I have given 5/5 to are outrageous spectacles in my mind. But, I’m left wondering if this is 4.5 or 4.75. 4.75 is the territory of Talisker 18, Highland Park 18 and 25. 4.5 is busier with notable liquids of Ardbeg Uigeadail and Corryvreckan, Highland Park Mjolner, Arran Argonne, The LakesReserve, Laphroig Lore, and Talisker 8 y/o 2021. 4.75 is a pretty hallowed ground in my book and looking back at my reviews the key element through my three 4.75s is an excitement that is slightly lacking in the next bracket down. 4.5 is where this Ledaig 18 sits and it finds itself in excellent company. A very big thank you again to @cascode, and a happy new year to anyone who reads my excessively lengthy reviews here. Slainte! Distiller whisky taste #250 [Pictured here with a replica of “Mrs. Ples”. Mrs Ples is a 2.5 million year old fossil of Australopithecus africanus discovered in 1947 in Sterkfontein, South Africa. The discovery of this near complete specimen helped lend credence to the notion that South African Australopithecines were indeed hominids. Originally thought to be a female, it is no known that Mrs Ples is in fact; Mr Ples] Tobermory running scores Tobermory 12: 4/5 Ledaig 10: 3.75/5 Ledaig 18: 4.5/5

The second of @cascodes selected Dewars ‘smooth’ offerings. An acceptable but unimpressive open from the ‘Illegal Smooth’ now the follow up from ‘Japanese Smooth’. Mizunara casks are pretty special, rare, expensive, and with great heritage. But they can be very easily used poorly. I am hoping that the sandalwood aromatics, and coconut-honey sweetness and lightness of body that Mizunara can bring are well integrated into this pour… N: A vaguely tannic and earthy-sweetness are first and foremost, along with a little alcohol prickle. I get the bare minimum suggestion of orange oil through a light biscuit malt and gentle honey. This is surprisingly light and ‘aromatic’ but I wouldn’t go as far to say anything specific about what the aromats are past malt-honey and slightest orange. Certainly none of the Mizunara excellence I had hoped for. P: A little thin but heading towards creamy. The most obvious thing early on is an almost potpourri like perfume. Sandalwood, sweet plum, herbal aniseed and cinnamon. The texture and flavour becomes toasty over time and spice builds to a raw ginger warmth. So much floral-aromatic oomph going on makes this quite unique to me. F: Short. Sweet malt, watery honey, feint peppery spice and a grainy exit texture. Wow, I think thats the most extreme case of aromatic-florals on the palate I have experienced in a whisky. Honestly, like getting perfume sprayed onto your tongue. @cascode are you sure you put the right stuff in the bottle?! There is obvious carry over in this dram to the ‘Illegal Smooth’. The mass produced elements of a weak nose with a little burn, thinness to the palate texture, and short finish with a grainy exit texture are all directly comparable. Where the Illegal Smooth had a subtle Mezcal influence the Mizunara seems to be more strongly applied here. The aromatics are present but not in the way I had expected and not with the refinement I would expect for such sanctified wood. Still, I quite enjoyed this and would happily have a bottle on the shelf to pour freely as a curiosity with no worries over price-tags or savouring. Thanks, yet again, Overlord @cascode Distiller whisky taste #249 [Pictured here with a replica of H0mo habilis (KNM-ER1813). This replica is of a 1.9 million year old specimen discovered in 1973 at Koobi Fora, Kenya. Despite there being arguments over whether this small 1.3 m tall primate belongs to H0mo or Austalopithecines they are remarkable for likely use of stone tools. Despite their ‘ape-like’ morphologies multiple remains of the species have been found alongside primitive stone tools. These tools are often stone flakes used for butchering and skinning animals. Coincident with a major climate shift that saw forests and water-ways replaced with arid savannahs, these tools gave H. habilis a fitness where other primates could not survive. Despite the controversy over correct genus attributions it is commonly thought that H. habilis is the ancestor to the H. ergaster which in turn led to the human-appearing H0mo erectus.]